The Confederate Powder Works at Augusta, Georgia

ASAC_Vol101_03-Blaker_100001.qxp 7/20/10 6:05 PM Page 19 The Confederate Powder Works at Augusta, Georgia By Gordon A. Blaker An Urgent and Critical Need The Confederate States of America had many brilliant feats of arms during their brief lives. While the victories of the Confederate Army and Navy are well known, there is another area vital to the survival of the new nation that is largely unknown. The best of firearms and cannon are use- less without the gunpowder to send projectiles to their tar- gets. It is the story of Confederate gunpowder and the factory built in Augusta, Georgia (Figure 1) that has gone unher- alded in the history of the “Late Unpleasantness.” With the beginning of the war in April 1861, the Confederacy faced a severe shortage of gunpowder. The new nation had a supply of powder sufficient for only one month of active service and only a handful of small, obsolete factories to supply its needs.1 Fortunately for the South, President Jefferson Davis and his Chief of Ordnance, Josiah Gorgas, quickly realized the seriousness of the problem. George Washington Rains, a brilliant engineer and West Point graduate, was given the mission to solve the problem. Selecting Augusta as the location for the Confederacy’s gunpowder factory, Rains began production only seven months after choosing the site. Over the next three years, the Powder Works produced over 3.1 million pounds of high quality gunpowder, an average of 3,000 pounds per day. Never for Want of Powder George Washington Rains (Figure 2) was born to Gabriel and Ester Rains on April 13, 1817, the last of their Figure 1. This is the best of only three known photographs of the Powder Works showing the refinery, warehouse and laboratory. Figure 2. George Washington Rains in 1861. (Augusta Museum of (Joseph M. Lee, III) History) Reprinted from the American Society of Arms Collectors Bulletin 101:19-30 101/19 Additional articles available at http://americansocietyofarmscollectors.org/resources/articles/ ASAC_Vol101_03-Blaker_100001.qxp 7/20/10 6:05 PM Page 20 five children. The Rains family lived in New Bern, North Gorgas. Immediately after receiving his commission, Rains Carolina where Gabriel was a successful furniture maker and was given the nearly impossible mission of solving the undertaker.2 George attended the excellent private New Bern Confederacy’s gunpowder problem. Rains soon found a very Academy where he showed an early aptitude for science.3 talented young engineer to work with him on creating the Beginning at the age of 16, George eagerly sought acceptance best powder factory in the world. to the United States Military Academy at West Point. His brother Gabriel, 14 years his senior, had graduated from West A Genius of High Order Point and was serving at Fort Gibson in the Indian Territory. While awaiting his appointment, George visited his brother Charles Shaler Smith (Figure 3) was born to Frederick and on the frontier and spent nearly a year there, where the Mary Anne Shaler Smith in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on January brothers developed a strong bond that would last the rest of 16, 1836. His father died in the great Pittsburgh fire in 1845, their lives.4 After frustrating years of waiting, George finally leaving Mary Anne with two small children and little means of received an appointment to enter the Academy in the sum- support. She remarried and Shaler, as he would became known, mer of 1838. When he graduated in 1842, he was third in his decided he preferred to live with his maternal grandfather, class, first in chemistry, and received the honor of being com- Charles Shaler, a prominent lawyer and judge. Orphaned at 16, missioned in the prestigious Corps of Engineers.5 Shaler declined the offer of a college education in law by his Lieutenant Rains’ first assignment was at Fort Warren in grandfather to follow his love of civil engineering.10 Boston Harbor. There he worked on the ongoing construction Smith began his new career as a rodman for a railroad of the fortifications under the guidance of Colonel Sylvanus survey crew where he proved himself to be intelligent and Thayer, the distinguished engineer and former superintendent hardworking. In 1855, he became assistant engineer on of West Point. While learning much that would prove useful, Louisville and Nashville Railroad and within a year had Rains was bored and in less than a year took the unusual step moved up to become resident engineer on the Memphis of requesting a transfer to the artillery.6 branch. In 1857, he was again promoted to become an assis- In the autumn of 1843, Rains reported to Company I, 4th tant to the distinguished Albert Fink, engineer of buildings Artillery at Fort Monroe. During his year at Fort Monroe, he and bridges. Under Fink, Shaler perfected his architectural was disappointed to discover just how little being an artillery and drafting skills. In 1859, he was charged with managing officer had to do with the practice of artillery.7 In October 1844, Rains returned to West Point to take the position of assistant professor of chemistry, mineralogy and geology.8 With the beginning of the Mexican War in 1846, Rains was able to secure a transfer to the theater of war, serving under General Zachary Taylor, then on General Winfield Scott’s staff and finally as aide-de-camp to Brigadier General Gideon Pillow. During the march from Vera Cruz to Mexico City, Rains saw considerable action, earning two brevets for bravery.9 With the end of the war, Rains returned to duty as an engineer officer, serving in Florida, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi and finally at Fort Hamilton on New York Harbor. It was there that he met Frances Ramsdell, the daughter of a wealthy industrialist. Following their marriage in 1856, his new father-in-law offered Rains the position of president and partner in the Washington Iron Works and Highland Iron Works in Newburgh, New York. Rains resigned his captain’s commission on October 31, 1856 and went to work in man- ufacturing. Over the next several years he gained valuable industrial experience, became quite prosperous and patented a number of inventions on steam engines and boilers. When the war came in 1861, the native North Carolinian offered his services to the South. In July 1861, he received a commission as major of artillery with duty to the Figure 3. C. Shaler Smith (second from left) and comrades in 1862. Ordnance Department under its new chief, Major Josiah (Bryan M. Haltermann) 101/20 Reprinted from the American Society of Arms Collectors Bulletin 101:19-30 Additional articles available at http://americansocietyofarmscollectors.org/resources/articles/ ASAC_Vol101_03-Blaker_100001.qxp 7/20/10 6:05 PM Page 21 track and bridge construction for the Tennessee division. In a good supply of wood for charcoal, a mild climate and lastly October, he left the Louisville and Nashville to become chief a central location far enough from the coast and the enemy engineer of bridges and buildings for the Wilmington, lines. Rains said of the location, “All in all, it was remarkable Charlotte & Rutherford Railroad in North Carolina. In six that the most favorable conditions required in the erection of years, Shaler had risen from rodman to chief engineer.11 an extensive Powder manufactory were all met at this loca- When the war began, Shaler declined a U.S. Army com- tion, and nowhere else attainable.”16 mission, believing the South was right. He offered his serv- During the summer and autumn of 1861, building a ices to the Confederacy and resumed work building bridges new powder factory was only one of Rains’ tasks. Because it for them as a civilian engineer. He came to the attention of would take months to construct a new factory, he had to do Joseph Reid Anderson, owner of Tredegar Iron Works in everything possible to increase the production of powder Richmond, Virginia. Impressed with Shaler’s talents, Anderson and niter from the small existing facility. Niter, the key ingre- recommended Shaler to Rains, who was also impressed by dient, was extracted from the limestone caves and Rains the young engineer.12 Rains appointed Smith chief engineer worked quickly to accelerate the mining and production and later said, “In my young Architect and Civil Engineer, throughout the South. In spite of the impressive efforts of C. Shaler Smith . I at once recognized genius of a high mining and producing niter in the South, throughout the order, and placed in his hands my rough sketches of buildings war the majority of the Confederacy’s niter would come to elaborate and give architectural finish. All know with what from Europe through the blockade. result, the fine taste exhibited in the massive and beautiful structures which ornamented the banks of the Augusta Canal, for two miles, bore witness of his success.”13 The Mission At the beginning of the war, the Confederacy had an amount of powder that Rains referred to as “scarcely sufficient for one month of active operations.”14 This powder consisted of that seized from United States arsenals in the South and a significant amount purchased by several Confederate States shortly before the shooting began. There were a handful of tiny powder-making establishments in the South, but their operations were outdated and their output intended for local markets and not an army at war. Rains immediately went to work to boost the output of these small powder mills, supply them with the key ingredient, niter (potassium nitrate), also known as saltpeter. At the same time, Rains was to select a site for the construction of a new powder mill to meet all the Confederacy’s needs for a pro- longed war.

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